• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Effortless Foodie
  • About
  • Contact
  • Recipes
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Contact
  • Resources
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Contact
    • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Curry

    Easy Prawn Bhuna

    Published: May 18, 2021 · Modified: Aug 2, 2022 by Beth Sachs · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 8 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    A quick and easy prawn bhuna made with juicy king prawns and store cupboard Indian spices.

    This medium-hot prawn curry is on the table in just 25 minutes and perfect for your next curry night feast!

    Prawn bhuna with turmeric rice.

    This easy king prawn bhuna makes a nice change from my usual go-to chicken curry.

    The word Bhuna means 'to fry' and that is literally what you do. Firstly frying the chopped onion, garlic, ginger and chili, and then the Indian spices (most of which you will already have in your pantry).

    Tomatoes are then added, in this case in the form of passata, which creates a rich and spicy bhuna sauce, perfect for the sweet and juicy king prawns!

    👩‍🍳 If you like medium hot curries, you should try my easy lamb balti! Love prawns? Then you'll want to try my easy prawn chow mein!

    Jump to:
    • ✔️ Why should you try it?
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🍴 Serving suggestions
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🥡 Storage
    • ❓ FAQS
    • 😋Related recipes
    • Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    ✔️ Why should you try it?

    • The recipe takes just 25 minutes.
    • Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.
    • Spicy and flavourful.
    • Can be frozen.

    🥘 Ingredients

    Ingredients for the prawn bhuna.
    • King Prawns - I buy big packs of cooked frozen king prawns so I always have them on hand for quick and easy recipes like this.
    • Onion - 1 small white onion, chopped finely.
    • Garlic - I love garlic so used 3 cloves in this curry.
    • Ginger - a 3cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated.
    • Chili - an authentic bhuna uses a green chili, but I only had red to hand, so that's what I used.
    • Coriander - finely chop the stalks to fry with the onion, and use the leaves to garnish the finished dish.
    • Spices - you'll need a medium-hot curry powder, cumin, garam masala, turmeric and ground coriander.
    • Passata - or use a tin of chopped tomatoes.
    • Mango Chutney - the sweetness of the mango chutney helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
    • Olive Oil - for frying.
    • Salt and Pepper - to season.

    🔪 Instructions

    The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post

    1. Heat the oil in a frying pan or shallow casserole and fry the chopped onion, garlic, ginger, chili, and coriander stalks for 3 minutes.
    2. Add the spices and fry for a further 2 minutes.
    3. Pour in the passata and spoon in the mango chutney. Give everything a good mix and simmer on a medium low heat for 10 minutes.
    4. Add the cooked king prawns and warm through for 3-4 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and season with salt and pepper.
    Step by step photo instructions for making prawn bhuna.

    🍴 Serving suggestions

    If I'm cooking up a curry night feast for friends, I often serve the prawn bhuna alongside a few other curries such as mild chicken curry for kids, and creamy halloumi curry.

    Homemade pilau rice or turmeric rice, naan bread, and popadoms are always served alongside too!

    📖 Variations

    • Swap the prawns for leftover roast chicken or beef.
    • Make it veggie by using quorn pieces instead of the king prawns.
    • Up the heat by adding a teaspoon of chilli flakes (at the same time as the spices).
    • A bhuna traditionally doesn't have cream or coconut milk in it, but if you like your curries creamy then add some! 150ml of either should do the trick.
    • A sprinkling of toasted cashew nuts just before serving adds crunch and texture.
    King prawn bhuna in a red pan.

    🥡 Storage

    The cooked bhuna will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat thoroughly in the microwave before serving.

    The prawn bhuna can also be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating until piping hot in the microwave.

    ❓ FAQS

    Is bhuna spicy?

    A bhuna is a medium-hot tomato based curry with no cream or coconut milk added.

    What is the difference between a balti and bhuna?

    The English translation of Balti is 'bucket' and Bhuna is 'fried'. Generally, balti's are drier and slightly less spicy than bhuna's.

    Which prawns are best?

    King prawns are more authentic but you can swap for ordinary prawns, which are usually cheaper.

    Should I defrost the cooked prawns before adding them?

    Defrost the frozen cooked king prawns overnight in your refrigerator.

    😋Related recipes

    More prawn recipes you might enjoy!

    • Easy Prawn and Chorizo Paella
    • Prawn Korma
    • Prawn Masala
    • Prawn and Pea Risotto

    🍽️ More family-friendly recipes

    Curry recipes from the Effortless Foodie kitchen!

    • Easy Leftover Chicken Curry Recipe
    • Easy Turkey Mince Curry Recipe
    • Easy Prawn Korma Recipe
    • Easy King Prawn Masala Curry

    Tried this recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating in the comments!

    Recipe

    Prawn bhuna with rice and naan bread.
    Email
    Print Pin
    5 from 9 votes

    Easy Prawn Bhuna

    A quick and easy prawn bhuna made with king prawns and storecupboard Indian spices.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Indian
    Keyword king prawn bhuna, prawn bhuna
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time 25 minutes
    Servings 3
    Calories 251kcal
    Author Beth Sachs
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Chopping Board
    • Knife
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Frying Pan
    • Wooden Spoon

    Ingredients

    Metric - US Customary
    • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
    • 1 Onion peeled and finely chopped
    • 3 Garlic Cloves peeled and finely chopped
    • 3 cm Fresh Ginger peeled and grated
    • 1 Chili deseeded and chopped
    • 2 tablespoon Coriander Stalks finely chopped
    • 2 tablespoon Medium-Hot Curry Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Cumin
    • 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
    • ½ teaspoon Turmeric
    • ½ teaspoon Ground Coriander
    • 400 g Passata
    • 2 tablespoon Mango Chutney
    • 375 g Cooked King Prawns if frozen defrost before use
    • 1 tablespoon Coriander Leaves chopped
    • Salt and Pepper

    Instructions

    • Heat the oil in a frying pan or shallow casserole and fry the chopped onion, garlic, ginger, chili, and coriander stalks for 3 minutes.
    • Add the spices and fry for a further 2 minutes.
    • Pour in the passata and spoon in the mango chutney. Give everything a good mix and simmer on a medium low heat for 10 minutes.
    • Add the cooked king prawns and warm through for 3-4 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and season with salt and pepper.

    Video

    Notes

    Variations:
    • Swap the prawns for leftover roast chicken or beef.
    • Make it veggie by using quorn pieces instead of the king prawns.
    • Up the heat by adding a teaspoon of chilli flakes (at the same time as the spices).
    • A bhuna traditionally doesn't have cream or coconut milk in it, but if you like your curries creamy then add some! 150ml of either should do the trick.
    • A sprinkling of toasted cashew nuts just before serving adds crunch and texture.
     
    Storage:
    The cooked bhuna will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat thoroughly in the microwave before serving. it can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
     
    Nutrition:
    The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
     
    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Prawn Bhuna
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    251
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    7
    g
    11
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    6
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    1
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    158
    mg
    53
    %
    Sodium
     
    754
    mg
    33
    %
    Potassium
     
    880
    mg
    25
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    29
    g
    10
    %
    Fiber
     
    4
    g
    17
    %
    Sugar
     
    15
    g
    17
    %
    Protein
     
    20
    g
    40
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    1066
    IU
    21
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    41
    mg
    50
    %
    Calcium
     
    120
    mg
    12
    %
    Iron
     
    4
    mg
    22
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and tag @effortlessf00d on Instagram or Twitter

    Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date with what's cooking in the Effortless Foodie kitchen! You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too!

    More Easy Curry Recipes

    • Easy Homemade Chicken Tikka Masala
    • Easy Chicken Korma Recipe
    • Easy Chicken Rogan Josh Recipe
    • Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Curry Recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Wanda

      May 18, 2021 at 4:12 pm

      5 stars
      This dish sounds so delicious, what an awesome combination of flavours! Bookmarking!

      Reply
    2. Rachna

      May 18, 2021 at 4:24 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my what a delicious dish! I love prawns and Indian curries are my favourite. I am surely trying this out soon.

      Reply
    3. Sharon Chen

      May 18, 2021 at 4:28 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! I will definitely serve this for our family dinner soon.

      Reply
    4. Michelle

      May 19, 2021 at 1:25 am

      5 stars
      I love all of the flavors in this simple dish, and the shrimp are cooked perfectly

      Reply
    5. Mike

      July 31, 2021 at 7:52 pm

      5 stars
      Well flavoured easy to make Bhuna style sauce. Can I suggest that the medium curry powder be reduced from 2 to 1 tablespoon. I love hot curries but Bhuna should not be this hot. Thanks for a great easy to cook - goto recipe which is delicious.

      Reply
    6. chris baker

      August 14, 2021 at 12:01 pm

      5 stars
      Made this one the 10th August and it was a real treat flavoursome and easy to make and the spices were just right.

      Reply
    7. Brian Chapman

      January 05, 2022 at 9:20 pm

      Made this tonight.... 'twas lush. 🙂

      Reply
      • Beth Sachs

        January 06, 2022 at 7:49 am

        Glad you enjoyed it Brian!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Beth Sachs Food Blogger

    Hi, I’m Beth, a Mum of three (and one crazy dog), living in Cornwall, UK. I love creating easy, delicious and fuss-free recipes, perfect for busy families, just like my own.

    More about me →

    My Web Stories

    Footer

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Effortless Foodie